


Eight standard days, three hours, seven minutes and nine seconds

by Anonymous



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Abduction, Angst with a Happy Ending, Data has his emotion chip but idk when this happens, Declarations Of Love, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Im bad with dates okay, Kissing, M/M, Rescue Missions, some bitch thinks they can fuck with Data again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-02 18:41:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17269007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: “I am staying planetside. This is my choice. If you take action, they may harm you all,” Data had said in his message to the Enterprise.This. Is. My. Choice. The words rattled around in Geordi’s head and shook him deeply, but for however loud those four words spoke, Geordi forced himself to trust the seven months of memories he had of them together and the years of proof he had before they became official that could never suggest that Data would willingly walk away.AKA:Seeing no other way out of the situation, Data complies with a hostile alien species' demand that he stay with them forever in exchange for the safety of the Enterprise.





	Eight standard days, three hours, seven minutes and nine seconds

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to tumblr for inspiring this one

Three standard days, eleven hours, forty-one minutes and twenty seven seconds since Data had heard from or seen any of the Enterprise crew: three standard days, eleven hours, forty-one minutes and now thirty seconds since he had heard from or seen Geordi. There was a time he would not admit to himself he was counting. 

He was counting now. 

He was counting here, stuck in what he decided was the equivalent of a sort of human zoo enclosure after being captured by the Rebyka, a dangerously advanced alien race that he could cite practically every known recorded fact about. More like advanced vaporous clouds than humans, they were telekinetic, and volatile, but also people of science whose powers relied on collective effort of the entire colony. He had accounted for 97.482% of known variables, unfortunately excluding the one that ended up mattering: their apparent grasp of Data’s own inability to allow harm to come to the Enterprise crew. Or to Geordi. Especially to Geordi. 

This was the rational decision, Data reasoned. The people here, as so many had before, were fascinated with him and had seen him as some sort of special item, a thing to be displayed, and demanded that he stay. When he refused, they claimed a number of things, all of which Data knew to be possible feats of the race: they could pull the Enterprise from its orbit and let it burn up in their atmosphere; they could throw the Enterprise so far out into space they’d never find a way back; they could convince nearly every individual on the ship to wreck their controls and sabotage the mission, possibly ending their lives in the process. Data was a useful member of the crew, he knew. They would miss him but they would recover. 

Would Geordi? He asked himself. Yes, he finally decided. He and Geordi had been in a relationship for seven months, two weeks, and four days when he beamed down to the surface for this mission. He would rather stay here than ever let harm come to Geordi, such was his love for him. Geordi would believe that this was Data's choice, and he would never disrespect Data's decisions. 

Please forgive me for it, Data thought. Three standard days, eleven hours, forty-three minutes and seven seconds. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

“I am staying planetside. This is my choice. If you take action, they may harm you all,” Data had said when he had been allowed to message the Enterprise once before being taken captive. Or at least that was what Geordi inferred from the message. His words sounded like there was a silent apology behind them only Geordi could hear. 

Geordi was infinitely tired of individuals and civilizations trying to stick Data up on a shelf like some sort of collectors’ item, and he was unprepared to leave his boyfriend to the will of whatever space entities had decided they could keep him now. But more than that he was worried, because even when he wasn’t ready to give up on Data, sometimes others were. The fact that Data had been taken into custody obviously meant negotiations were not going well, and he knew Picard was unlikely to allow anyone to just take a member of the Enterprise crew without pushing back, but Data had said: this. is. my. choice. The words rattled around in Geordi’s head and shook him deeply, but for however loud those four words spoke, Geordi forced himself to trust the seven months of memories he had of them together and the years of proof he had before they became official, that could never suggest that Data would willingly walk away. 

Geordi thought of every positive experience he’d ever had with Data, or any moment Data could have enjoyed whatsoever, regardless of Geordi’s presence. The dates on the holodeck (had the adventures of Sherlock and Watson been dates? No matter, they had others as well), the painting lessons, his cat Spot, the poetry Data wrote for him (considerably more passionate than his previous works). None of these things seemed like anything Data would walk away from. Strictly speaking of his career, Data considered the Enterprise his home. Was his emotion chip malfunctioning? Or had he really been coerced? 

Then again, Geordi mused. The loss of Tasha, Maddox’s prodding, Lal, and Fajo’s attempt to “collect” him were all greatly taxing events for Data, whether he showed it or not. Would it be enough to make him want to leave? 

Just two weeks since they had started dating, was a day that Geordi wouldn’t ever forget, he supposed. 

Data had came to him, somewhat distressed. 

“May I tell you something?” he had asked. 

“Of course, Data, what is it?” Geordi responded, fearful that Data was going to decide that this, much like his past attempts at romance, was an utter fail, that nothing was working, that Data was going to give up on them so soon. 

“Geordi, I think that I am in love with you. According to typical romantic standards that I have researched, this is too early in our relationship to admit to it. However, I am nearly sure. I feel no different towards you than I ever did without the emotion chip. I only know now that this is what love must be.” 

Floored and relieved that Data wasn’t dumping him, but instead quite the opposite, Geordi had just grasped Data’s hand and kissed the corner of his mouth gently. 

“I love you too.” 

Geordi did not believe Data was willingly staying with the Rebyka colony. It was time to convince everyone else of the same. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Eight standard days, two hours, three minutes and fifty seconds since since Data had heard from or seen any of the Enterprise crew: eight standard days, two hours, three minutes and fifty seconds since he had spoken to or seen Geordi LaForge. 

This was not a zoo. This was a prison. This was Data’s prison, and he would sit here for decades without seeing the man he loved, but never die. He would resign himself to it. 

The Rebyka people would float in and out of the room they kept him in, never saying much but always materializing just enough to poke and prod at him, find out what makes him tick, why he operated how he did, why and how. Why and how. 

One, who appeared to be the equivalent of a teenager, that had been assisting a larger Rebyka with the investigation of how Data’s arms worked uttered the first words he had heard in several days. 

“You are depressed.” 

The concept somehow shocked Data. 

“By what means have you come to this conclusion?” he pushed back. 

“Experience.” The unnamed Rebyka failed to mention whether the experience was its own or someone else’s. 

Data could not predict the outcome of this situation. He hypothesized quickly that his diminished state may make them angry. He tried something he rarely did: bluffing. “I am an android. I have no capability for-“ 

“You are lying.” 

Data stopped talking. 

“You are very advanced. You feel emotion. You are bad at hiding it. Right now you feel angry and sad. You are grieving your past life.” 

“If you wish to keep me here, it is likely I will always be sad and angry, as you say, but I am protecting my friends. I will stay here for as long as I must,” he answered. 

“Forget them.” The Rebyka said. 

Data said he could not. 

The Rebyka’s cloud like body bent a little towards one end, seemingly in consideration. And then it floated out, silently. 

Data shut his eyes, leaned against the wall, and activated his dream sequence programming. 

Eight standard days, two hours, fifty six minutes and two seconds since he had spoken to or seen Geordi LaForge. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Data,” Geordi’s voice seemed to echo. Data kept on dreaming, unwilling to open his eyes and see the room he’d been kept in, apart from Geordi for eight standard days, three hours–

“DATA,” the voice insisted, and his eyes snapped wide open to see Geordi not a foot away from him, Riker, Troi and the Captain standing considerably further from him. 

“Data, the last thing I expected when I got down here was to see you taking a nap. Now c’mon! We have an extremely narrow window of opportunity, let’s get out of here! Are you hurt?” 

“I believe I am uninjured, Geordi,” Data said shakily. Half lie, half truth. Nothing had been hurt but his heart, metaphorically speaking. 

“Okay then let’s–“ Geordi’s voice was cut off by Data surging forward to plant a chaste kiss on his lips. Surprised but not unhappy, Geordi kissed back briefly before he laughed nervously and said something about Data being a “sap” towards the others’ direction before they were beamed out of there. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Five minutes later, in their quarters, Data began, “Geordi, I–“ 

Geordi cut him off, a rare occurrence. “I’m sorry for not reciprocating as much as I would like to have, Data. We’ve just never kissed in front of anyone before and I’m not sure of the protocol about that sort of thing and…” 

“I am not concerned, Geordi. I just was going to inquire about how you finally reached me?” 

“I had to convince them you’d never leave us of your own will. That was fairly simple, but there was no opportunity for rescue until Troi sensed a change in your captor’s moods. Or in one of them, at least. You seemed to convince one of them you needed to leave. It felt incredibly sorry for you. Once we convinced it to help us, it was alright from there.” 

“Geordi, I hope you can forgive me,” Data said. 

“There’s nothing to forgive you for. You did what you had to do to keep the Enterprise safe, Data.” 

“You misunderstand. I almost gave up when I was imprisoned. I have never been so close to surrendering myself forever. But I know now that after so long away from you that I never want to be again.” 

Data felt a tear slip down his face as Geordi reached up to wipe it away. He pulled Data into a hug and kissed his cheek. 

“I’m never gonna stop looking for you, Data. When you disappear, when some idiot thinks they can take you, or hurt you, just know I’m not giving up. I love you,” Geordi reassured him. 

“I love you too. I have known forever, but I have had eight standard days, three hours, seven minutes and nine seconds to be sure,” Data said.

**Author's Note:**

> i love my boys. 
> 
> let me know what you think but be kind, im new to writing, especially for star trek.


End file.
